by Bryce Olin for ShowSnob
The Diplomat season 2 begins immediately after the bombing at the end of the season 1 finale.
The opening scene of “When a Stranger Calls,” The Diplomat season 2 episode 1, reveals the aftermath of the bombing. Ronnie Buckhurst (Jess Chanliau), Stuart Hayford (Ato Essandoh), and Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) were injured in the bombing, but we don’t know the extent of their injuries.
In Paris, Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi) just realized that it seems like the Brits, possibly including Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), are the ones responsible for the attack on the British ship before getting the call that there was a bombing in London involving Hal and Stuart.
From the first moments of the season, we know one person has died in the blast, but we don’t know if it’s Ronnie, Hal, or Stuart. We don’t have to wait long to find out.
Kate and Dennison fly back quickly to find out what happened and share their concerns after their lovely night was interrupted. When they arrive, they find out Merritt Grove (Simon Chandler), the MP who Hal was meeting, is dead. Ronnie, Stuart, and Hal are in emergency surgery.
While the surgeons work to save the trio of Americans, Kate shares her theory about what happened with Eidra Park (Ali Ahn), the CIA Station Chief in the UK. Kate reveals that the French think Trowbridge and the Brits plan to kill Lenkov, who is responsible for the attack on the ship. Kate also shares her theory that the Brits are the ones who hired him to create a global controversy. They lock down the hospital in case the Americans are in further danger. Eidra tries to walk Kate back from casting accusations that the Prime Minister could be behind the attack, but she also knows there’s something here. She promises to delve further into the matter, just as Hal gets out of surgery.
This scene is so awesome! The blocking, the execution, and how Russell and Ahn’s characters communicate in code using the whiteboard in the hospital room are amazing. It’s just one of many examples of the terrific writing, performance, and execution in The Diplomat.
Read the rest of the recap, HERE.